Blog Tour - Six Months Later Review & Interview

Welcome to my stop on the tour for the fabulous Six Months Later by Natalie D Richards hosted by The Fantastic Flying Book Club and check out all the other amazing blogs taking part here!

Six Months Later - Natalie D Richards
ISBN - 9781402285516
Publisher - Sourcebooks Fire
Release date - October 1st 2013
Find - Goodreads / Book Depository / AmazonUS (eBook) / AmazonUS (paperback) / Barnes & Noble / Indiebound

Chloe didn't think about it much when she nodded off in study hall on that sleepy summer day. But when she wakes up, snow is on the ground and she can't remember the last six months of her life. Before, she'd been a mediocre student. Now, she's on track for valedictorian and being recruited by Ivy League schools. Before, she never had a chance with super jock Blake. Now he's her boyfriend. Before, she and Maggie were inseparable. Now her best friend won't speak to her.

What happened to her?
And why can't she remember?

I love reading thrillers/suspense/mystery novels, as there aren't that many around in YA fiction when you do find one that sounds so original you just know it's going to be good and Six Months Later was no exception! When Chloe wakes up Six Months Later her world has changed beyond all recognition. She's gone from average student to A-grade student applying to all the best colleges, from a huge crush on the best looking boy in school to being said boy's long-term girlfriend, but worst of all, her best friend no longer wants anything to do with her. The first few minutes of waking up and realizing her world has changed were both satisfyingly creepy and wonderfully brought to life, it was truly horrifying for Chloe to discover that she really had gone to sleep in summer and woken up in winter. Even worse, realizing that the one person you want to call, that knows you the best, no longer appears to be part of your life and having no idea why. Right from the very beginning I had all sorts of weird and wonderful explanations about what had happened to Chloe, the truth was certainly not what I was expecting it to be but what an amazing idea. The whole story kept me guessing, just when I thought I'd worked out who was a good guy they turned out to be the bad guy and vice versa! 

There were some real 'love them/hate them' characters but one of the things that impressed me most was that Chloe's parents were very much involved in her life even if if they didn't appear to be much help at times which doesn't seem to be the norm in most YA books I've read over the years. I adored the character of Chloe from the beginning, not sure if it's because of the great writing but she came across as so real. I loved how even though she was confused and in danger for much of the book she kept on pushing to find out what had happened and what was still happening, even though her parents and so-called wonderful boyfriend kept insisting there was nothing wrong, with Chloe or themselves. I also adored Maggie, the best friend, who had gone through so much already during Chloe's 'lost' six months. I love that she made Chloe work to renew their friendship and to earn her respect again, that she didn't let Chloe waltz straight back into her life again. The other character that I really liked was Adam, the bad guy - or is he? I loved how he was there for Chloe, letting her lean on him even though he didn't want her to and wanting to help her knowing that he had his reasons for holding back. Thankfully any confusion over what he may or may not have done is cleared up by the end of the book so there are very few loose ends. Not so much a loose end but I would love to hear more about Julien, a girl from Chloe's class who obviously went through the same things as her and ended up moving away from her home. Who knows, maybe that would make a great novella???

Between the characters, the storyline and the beautifully descriptive writing Six Months Later kept me glued to the pages until the last one was turned, I read it in one sitting finishing about 4am the following morning so that's how much I liked it plus I desperately had to know who was really involved and why. I loved the twists and turns, the ups and downs, the thinking you've got it all worked out only to be proved wrong on the very next page, even the romance which was completely realistic - they all added up to one fantastic read. Six Months Later will no doubt feature in my top books of 2013 list, if you only read one YA thriller this year make it this one.

About Natalie:
At seven, Natalie D. Richards wrote about Barbara Frances Bizzlefishes (who wouldn't dare do the dishes.) Now she writes about awesome girls, broody boys, and all things dark and creepy. Natalie lives in Ohio (Go Bucks!) with her techno-wiz husband, three amazing kids, and a seventy pound dust-mop who swears he's the family dog. Her psychological thriller, Six Months Later, will be released on October 1, 2013 by Sourcebooks Fire. Until then, you'll probably find her writing her next book or trying to wade through the towers of dog-eared paperbacks that have taken over her bedroom.
 Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Natalie was kind enough to endure the Spanish Inquisition and answered a few bookish questions I had to ask her!

What books inspire you?

I like your wording, here!  I'm fortunate enough to write in a genre overflowing with amazing things to read.  But when I think inspiration, I think about the books that actually changed me--they grabbed me by the chin and shifted my perspective.  Books like John Green's The Fault in Our Stars, Barbara Kingsolver's Poisonwood Bible, Jay Asher's 13 Reasons Why, Gayle Forman's If I Stay....those are the ones that changed everything for me.

What authors inspire you?

I admit, this one is impossible.  Writers, in general, inspire me.  Since I'm lucky enough to call many of them friends, I'm inspired pretty often!  But for your purposes, I'm going to go with writers that possess a voice and creativity that blows me away.  Hope that's okay!  

If I listed them all, I'd be here all day, but the list would never be complete without Neil Gaiman, Libba Bray, Suzanne Collins, Maggie Stiefvater, Laurie Halse Anderson, and my amazing blog-buddy for this tour, Romily Bernard.  

What's your favorite childhood book?

A Light In the Attic, The Hobbit, Jumanji, Frog and Toad books, and absolutely anything and everything by Dr. Seuss.  My baby nursery was Dr. Seuss.  And it was AWESOME.  

Do you like to listen to music whilst writing?  If so, what sort of music?

Yes, I do!  And boy do I listen to an oddball mix.  The xx, Florence & The Machine, Placebo, and Lana Del Rey were frequent repeats on my playlist for Six Months Later.  I tend to like music that's pretty dark and broody when I'm writing.  Music that sort of swallows me, if that makes any sense.

What's the last book you read?

Dare You To by Katie McGarry, I think.  Not positive though.  I've been reading a lot lately.  Dare You To is beyond awesome, for the record.  Go. Buy. Devour.

What's the last book you bought?

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han.  And I really want to read it, but work has to come first.  Dang it.

Apart from being an author, what's your dream job?

I really can't imagine doing anything else.  I usually go with editor or writing teacher.  Though it might be cool to own a bookstore, too. I'm sure I'd get SO much work done.  ;-)

What's the one question you'd love to be asked, but never have?

Hm....I'd love to be asked "Would you mind if I sent you these really cool pajama pants I found with Chewbacca/Blade Runner/Wile E. Coyote/insert-nearly-any-geek-character-here printed all over them?"

The answer would be, "Yes, Please!  I'll send you my size!"

Seriously, though, it's hard for me to think of a question I'd love to be asked, because I think bloggers are a heck of a lot better at it than I am.   My blogger interview questions have been a blast, and have managed to stump me a few times -- which is the mark of greatness in interviews, I think!

Fi, thank you so much for having me!   I'm so thrilled to be here! 

Natalie, thanks so much for writing a fabulous debut novel and for giving some great answers to my questions, if you should ever find the perfect geeky pajama pants feel free to send a pair my way ;) Last but not least, here's an amazing chance for lucky readers in the US/Canada to win a signed copy of the book & some promo goodies! The giveaway ends on October 3rd 2013, good luck!

Question of the Day

If you woke up Six Months Later who would be the first person you called?


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